INCIDENT SUMMARY

As of 0900 October 23, 2041 AE, CPT Kellan Archer was designated as AWOL by LT Vandenberg. This followed his absence from PT at 0530 and failure to report for duty at Ewe Aerilon at 0830. Questioning of personnel on the ground determined that he was last seen in the late evening; as of 0900 following the designation of AWOL, CPT Archer had been missing for approximately thirteen hours.

LT Vandenberg was placed in charge of mobilizing a search and rescue effort consisting of both CMC and Air Wing assets. All non-essential CMC personnel from Cerberus were recruited to contribute to these efforts, myself included. Deploying in fireteams of four, search teams proceeded to follow the last known sighting of CPT Archer into the woods surrounding Ewe Aerilon.

Following standard search and rescue team procedures, parallel search vectors were employed into the forests. Unfortunately, the weather became turbulent shortly after the search and rescue efforts began. The majority of clear footprints were lost to the heavy rains, but the fireteam composed of myself, SSGT Uriel Crowe, SGT Garret Lysander, and PVT Cyrus Doria discovered a number of rounds of Colonial 7.62x39mm shell casings, and an operational Colonial radio transmitter in the mud along our search vector. Scattered footprints, bloody left hand prints, and empty 20-round GMAR rifle magazines led us from the cover of the woods to a ridge, capped with an outcropping of rocks.

In addition to the footprints, sweeping arcs of automatic rifle fire impacting the ground and trees lead us up to the outcropping, where the helmet, vest, and battered rifle of CPT Archer were discovered. Two additional full magazines of ammunition were still present with his vest, which was bloody. Whether or not the blood was his was indeterminable. No body was recovered.

CONCLUSION

Pending the recovery of a body, CPT Kellan Archer is to be listed as MIA.